There are five key strands for this year's convention. Please select the one strand that fits your proposal best.

1. Developing Afterschool and Youth Professionals. NAA is committed to professionalizing the field of afterschool. If you have a presentation that focuses on professional development or leadership, this is the place for you!
   
   Example session topics include: career pathways, higher education, supporting staff, giving and receiving feedback, leadership development, internal communication, organizational culture, using data, observation and assessment,         management, work/life balance, stress management, research, organizational practices, coaching and supervision, staff recruitment and retention, workforce development, etc.
   
   
2. Building Partnerships and Sustaining Programs. Partnerships and funding are two key elements for a successful afterschool program. If you have developed partnerships in your community, found new ways to secure funding, or are just great at writing grants, we need you to teach others. Overall, these sessions focus on how to engage specific communities and/or how to fundraise and sustain programs.
   
   Example session topics include: collaboration, strategies for working with school districts, community-based organizations, families, parents, communities, PTA's, local government, community schools, community partnerships, corporate partnerships, partnerships with colleges and universities, fundraising, grant writing, non-profit management, board development, etc.
   
   
3. Quality and Innovative Programming. Programming is at the heart of the NAA Convention (not to mention the heart of afterschool programs). If you're creating excellent programming, using new techniques or tools, integrating technology, or achieving high academic results thanks to a new approach to learning, we need you to teach others how to replicate it.
   
   Example session topics include: aligning to the Common Core, using technology in the classroom, visual, culinary and performance arts, project-based learning, learning environments, curriculum implementation, academic and school day alignment, imagination and creativity, hands-on and experiential learning activities, STEM, cultural enrichment, financial literacy, service learning, summer programming, research, etc.
   
   
4. Supporting the Whole Child. For sessions tailored to specific children, address certain needs., or focused on health and wellness. If your program is saving money by eating organic, supporting social-emotional development, or have fun new exercises and recreation ideas, we need to learn from you!
   
   Example session topics include: social-emotional learning, health and wellness, nutrition, youth engagement, mentoring, , college readiness, risk behavior prevention, youth-led learning, early learning, middle-year engagement, engaging older youth, safety, nutrition, physical activity, recreation, mental health, meals/snacks, healthy eating, bully prevention, recognizing and responding to child abuse and neglect, character education, behavior guidance, classroom management, healthy start, inclusion, special needs, etc.
   
   
5. Telling Your Story. Storytelling is a powerful tool, and can be used in the boardroom, classroom, and Capitol Hill. How are you telling your story? Are you a social media guru? A policy specialist? A poet? We're calling on storytellers from all walks of life to help us improve our communication techniques.
   
   Example session topics include: public speaking, public relations, communications, marketing, media, social media, blogs, writing, policy, visual, culinary and performance arts, poetry, drama, data visualization, infographics, social interaction, intercultural communication, small group communication, facilitation, nonverbal communication, etc.